Dawn
by Salem Navy
Summary: She looks just like her, but what will they do when she is gone? COMPLETE Possible sequel
1. Just Like Her

**Title: Dawn**

**Rating: PG-13 (language mostly)**

**Shippings: Gabby and maybe some Tate (maybe)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. DPB and CBS own it all... unfortunately. If I owned it... I WOULDN'T BE KILLING ANYONE! (If you have no idea what I am talking about then I will give you a hint... but don't read this if you don't want to know about the final episode of season two.) Someone is going to die in the final episode. I think it is going to be Kate. NOOOO! (To read more about this, go to chapter 7 of The Blame.) **

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Gibbs watched as she pulled her dark hair into two low pigtails. She stood there in a plaid skirt, red and black socks, a black shirt with red fishnet over it that said, 'How can you be mad at this?' and shiny black baby doll shoes. "Ready to go?" he asked, standing beside her in the living room.

"Yeah dad. Just let me go get mom." His seven year old ran into his bedroom and came back holding the hand of her mother.

They looked so much alike. One thing was for sure, Dawn had inherited her mother's sense of style, but his piercing blue eyes. Dawn's curly, dark brown hair hung past her shoulders and her smile could light up a room... two more features that made her look even more like Abby.

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"Aww look. It's the Dawn Meister," Tony yelled as the trio exited the elevator.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that DiNozzo?" Dawn tried to act authoritive as she walked up behind Tony and smacked him in the back of the head. "It's boss to you."

"Right boss. Well you know... you seem to have a little something right there," Tony smiled, pointing to Dawn's shirt.

"Where?" Dawn glanced down.

"Right..." Tony paused. "There!" He picked her up and began to tickle her.

"Ahh! Help me!" Dawn yelled. Her head was upside down so she saw Kate when she entered the bullpen. "Aunt Kate, help me please!" Dawn laughed.

Kate came over behind Tony and whacked him in the back of the head. She laughed and lifted Dawn off of his lap.

"Watch it Katie. You're not Gibbs... or Dawn," Tony said. "You can't get away with that kinda stuff." Kate and Dawn glared at him, then stuck out their tongues. "Women," Tony sighed, shaking his head.

Setting Dawn down in her desk chair, Kate placed her purse in the drawer next to her gun. "So what did you do over the weekend Dawny?"

"Nothing really. Went to my Nana's and got to watch her make goo-goo faces at how cute I am," Dawn replied, rolling her eyes and trying to be dramatic.

_Just like Abby. She uses the word goo-goo_. "I see. So now that school is out what are you planning on doing this summer?"

"Probably just hang out here, if daddy let's me of course."

"That's good. You can help me bug Uncle Tony over there," Kate said, pointing at Tony.

"Cool..." Dawn stopped for a minute, thinking. "Aunt Kate, are you and Uncle Tony married?"

"What?" Kate and Tony yelled in unison.

"Well, you guys are always making those faces that mommy and daddy make when they think no one is watching."

"No we don't," Tony commented from his desk.

"Yeah huh. Plus Uncle Tony says some pretty hinky stuff," Dawn replied, using Abby's famous catch phrase.

"Glad somebody noticed," Gibbs piped up. "We have a body. Tony, the truck. Kate and McGee, grab your stuff. Dawn, mom's lab," he barked.

"But dad, I wanna see the dead person," Dawn whined.

"You are too much like your mother," Kate laughed as she grabbed her SIG Sauer out of the drawer.

"I said now Dawn!" Gibbs pointed a finger towards the elevator. Sulkingly, Dawn made her way downstairs to see her mother.

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"This is bull," Dawn muttered as she stepped into her mother's lab, Evanescence blaring from the speakers. "I never get to see the body." She crossed her arms across her chest.

"You don't like spending time with me?" Abby asked, popping her head from around the corner.

"Hey mom," Dawn said, sitting down on a rolling stool.

"Are we sulking Abigail Dawn Gibbs?"

"Don't call me that, pleeeaasssee," Dawn begged. She hated being called her full name. "I like just being Dawn because you are already Abby."

"Okay, my mistake." Abby held her hands up as if she was surrendering. "So whatcha wanna do 'til dad gets back with some evidence?"

"Can I play on the computer?" Dawn asked hopefully. She loved the computer almost as much as her mom did.

"Sure. Just remember our promise, be careful what you get into. Deal?" Abby held out her pinky.

"Deal," Dawn said, wrapping her pinky around her mom's.


	2. Happy Birthday

**I am really pleased to see that so many people enjoyed this story. I hope that you like this chapter as much as you did the last. **

**Read and review please!

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Abby looked over at Dawn on the computer. Her fingers moved very fast for a seven year old. Although her spelling wasn't the best, Abby bet Dawn could type faster than Gibbs. Okay, of course she could. Gibbs was technology challenged. Maybe she could type faster than Tony?

"Hey Abbs. Hey Dawn," Kate said as she entered Abby's lab, Tony following at her heels. They were each carring evidence boxes.

"Oooh presents," Abby said, rubbing her hands together. Dawn also looked excited. She loved watching her mother run tests. Although she wished that just once, she could watch Uncle Duck cut open the body, watching her mom in the lab was second best. Every once in awhile, when they weren't in a hurry, her mom would actually let her look under the microscope or help process evidence in what her mother called her "baby."

"Was the body all gross?" Dawn questioned, apparently fascinated.

"It was actually a rape victim. Her name was Sergeant Lisa Turner, about twenty-seven years old. Husband walked in and found her naked, laying across the arm of the couch. Very tramatic for him," Tony said sympathetically.

"Did he do it?" Dawn asked.

"That is why we brought you guys all this stuff, so you can tell us," Tony replied, motioning to the evidence boxes.

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"Happy birthday dear Dawn. Happy birthday to you," they all sang later that day at dinner. Dawn blew out the candles and everyone clapped as her dad cut the cake. She enjoyed being surrouned by the people she loved. She looked to her left to see her mom talking across the table to Aunt Kate. To her right, she could see her dad carrying on what seemed like a dull conversation with Uncle Ducky. All the while, Uncle Tony and Probie each sat on one side of Kate; neither saying a word.

"How does it feel to be eight Dawn?" Kate asked.

"Same as seven really. Wasn't I supposed to grow or something? I'm the same height I was yesterday."

"Looks like you grew a little to me," Tony said, finally speaking up. "Come here." He motioned Dawn over with a finger. When she was in front of him, he stood up too. Holding his hand over her head, he leveled it with his chest. "Wow Dawn! I think you grew about an inch."

"Really?" Dawn asked skeptically. She looked over at Kate for reassurance.

"Oh yeah. Maybe an inch and a half," Kate laughed, winking at Tony.

"Cool beans!" Dawn yelled, a little to loudly. A young boy, about nine, stared at her from the table over. "Whatcha lookin' at doofus brain?" Dawn asked and then made a face.

"Dawn," Gibbs scolded.

"What?" She tried to act innocent as she walked back over to her chair.

"Go Dawn," Abby whispered in her ear as they exchanged high fives.

"Abby." Gibbs eyed his wife.

"What?" she smiled, trying to proclaim her innocence. Gibbs just shook his head and returned to his conversation with Ducky.

"Hey mom," Dawn said, tapping Abby on the shoulder. "May I go to the bathroom? It's right over there." She pointed to a door, a few feet to their left.

"You want me to go with you?" Abby questioned.

"Mom," Dawn sighed dramatically. "I'm eight now. I can go to the bathroom by myself. Geeze, what do I look like? A little kid?"

"Okay, okay. If you say so. I'm still gonna keep an eye on you though."

"Whatever floats your boat mom," Dawn replied as she walked off.


	3. Go Check

**Sorry this update took so long. I had to recooperate from the loss of a great agent. I am no longer depressed... just pissed off.**

**Also, I know that in my story "I Remember" there are quite a few typos once you reach Tony's POV. The weird thing is, once I looked back to where I have it saved in my file on my computer, they aren't there. It is like Fanfiction just decides to cram a bunch of words together.**

**Please read and review. **

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Dawn stood at the sink washing her hands. She usually hated public bathrooms, but this one wasn't so bad. At least it was clean. Most others were dirty and there was always a woman who just started talking about God knows what for God knows what reason. They usually commented on her unique style. Mom called these people weirdos.

"Are you the little girl that they were singing happy birthday to?" A woman with dark red hair asked as she came up to the sink. She looked familiar, but Dawn couldn't place her.

"Yeah, that's me." Dawn rolled her eyes as she dried her hands off. _Another weirdo... great._ She felt a hand come around her mouth as she was about to open the door. _What the..._ She struggled to scream or even move, but she felt drowsy and weak. The last thing she remembered was her body going limp. _Help me!_ Her head was screaming thoughts, but she was powerless.

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Abby checked her watch, 7:45. Dawn had been in the bathroom for about seven minutes. "You think she has an upset stomach?" Kate asked.

"Probably. Will you come with me to check on her?" Abby questioned, concern in her voice.

"Of course," Kate answered as she got up to follow her best friend to the restroom.

"Where are you going?" Tony asked as he grabbed Kate's arm.

"I'll be right back, I promise." There was something weird going on between the two of them. Abby noticed, but didn't say anything. She would leave it alone... for now.

"Come on Kate," Abby called as she pushed open the door to the ladies room. Kate entered the door behind Abby. Nothing. Nobody. Empty. "Dawn?" Abby looked underneath the stalls to see... absolutely nothing. She couldn't see Dawn's new babydoll shoes or her read and black socks. "Dawn!" Abby's voice began to come frantic. "Kate, she's not here."

"Okay Abbs, just calm down. Maybe she walked passed us and we didn't notice her in the crowd," Kate said hopefully.

"Yeah. You're probably..." Abby froze. "No. Kate look!" Abby pointed to the floor. She bent down to pick something up.

"Abby, don't touch it. Go get Gibbs," Kate instructed. Abby couldn't move; she was in shock. "Abby now!"

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Gibbs stared at the yellow tape that surrounded the bathroom. It was so familiar to him, but never before had someone he knew been the reason it was there. His little girl was out there somewhere, kidnapped. Thanks to all the yelling he had done, his team was in charge of this investigation. Naval case or not... no damn FBI was going to screw up the return of his baby girl.


	4. Crying

**Hey everyone! **

**I may or may not have some bad news, all depends. Tomorrow, I am probably going to my grandmother's house which means I won't be able to update my stories for awhile because she lives on a ranch with my Aunt and they have no computer. NOOO! They don't even have a satellite, much less tivo. What am I going to do? I will be stuck out in B.F.E. with no technology what-so-ever. I need a computer or satellite. Let's at least hope they still have a television. **

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The darkness settled around her like an abyss. Unable to focus her eyes on her surroundings, she relied purely on ear, something her dad had taught her to at a young age. The cars on the passing road sounded distant, but yet extremely close. Second floor of a brick building she figured.

She knew she was smart for an eight year old, but she learned it all from the team. Along with her dark hair, she had inherited her mother's keen sense of hearing... practically impossible to sneak up on her. Uncle Ducky had passed on quite a bit of wisdom and knowledge, for sure. She knew almost every bone in your body from the pelvis up. Uncle Tony... what had he given her? Oh yeah, that crazy sense of humor, of course. But also something a little more. Uncle Tony had taught her how to do nothing, but still know absolutely everything. Now for McGee. There wasn't much to take from Probie, except he had made her extremely cautious. She studied her surroundings more now and always knew when trouble was ahead... most of the time. As for her dad, not only did he give her his striking blue eyes, but she had his commanding approach to things, able to take charge. Plus, his appreciation for authority. If it was someone like Uncle Tony tellingyou to quit doing something, then you could do it a few more times before he would run and tell your mommy, but if it was someone like Aunt Kate, well then damn it you better quit before she took the chance to bust your ass.

Aunt Kate never fooled around when it came to following orders, when they were important at least. What Aunt Kate had passed along was probably more useful than anything else she had learned from hanging out with the gang. Thanks to Aunt Kate, she could profile people, read 'em like a book. If you lied to her, by God she knew it. Thanks to all the skills she picked up from her parents and their co-workers, her mom used to joke around and say she was a super agent or at least would be when she got older.

Hopefully, she could use everything she knew and had learned to get herself out of this situation becuase one thing was for sure she was getting scared. For the first time since she had been kidnapped, Dawn began to cry. She was afraid. She wanted her mom or Dad to hold her, tell her everything would be okay. Tears came uncontrollably now, sobs escaping her mouth with every breath.

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"Are you sure you have collected all the evidence you can?" Gibbs asked Tony and Kate worriedly. He ran his hands through his silver hair as he rested in one of the chairs at the resteraunt.

"Gibbs, we searched this entire bathroom high and low. Not really much to get. The evidence we did collect could be from anybody. I mean, it is a public restroom," Kate explained, not helping the situation.

"Damn it!" Gibbs slammed his fist down on the table. "What time is it?"

"About 12:05," Tony replied.

"You two go home. Bright and early tomorrow. Got it?"

"Don't worry Gibbs. We care for Dawn just as much as you and Abbs," Kate said. Taking a chance, she hugged Gibbs. It wasn't the first time, but hugging him was always risky. It was always hard to tell if he was really in a bad mood or just playing around, so by hugging him... you were really taking a chance. Of course, if you were Abby or Dawn, it was different. "Bye Gibbs." Kate walked off, Tony in tow.

Gibbs took a deep breath. It was cold in the resteraunt, but for some reason, he felt extremely hot. Pulling off his jacket, nothing improved. His skin still felt flushed and he was still pissed off. Okay, so maybe he wasn't pissed, just worried. Slowly, a tear fell down his cheek and landed on the arm that lay in his lap. He was surprised, perplexed really. For the first time in almost eight years, since Dawn had been born, he was crying. Not just a few tears, but really, truly... crying.

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"I am worried about Gibbs," Kate said, throwing her purse onto the sofa. Looking around her apartment, she noticed just how messy it was. The sink was full of dishes, blankets lay unfolded on the couch, shoes were piled aimlessly by the door and her room... she didn't even want to think about it. Ever since he came along, making the bed had become a pointless and tiring task. If she made the bed or picked up some clothes, the next night it was always just as bad or worse.

"Don't worry. He can handle this. We all miss Dawn and want her home safe, but there is only so much we can do," he whispered in Kate's ear as he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"You don't understand. I need Dawn. She is like blood to me and I need her," Kate mumbled, a tear rolling down her cheek.

He turned her around and placed a kiss lightly on her forehead. "She is like family to all of us Kate. I need her too, we all do. I mean think, if it wasn't for the Dawn Meister than we wouldn't be together. She was the one who thought we were married."

Kate laughed, "I can picture what she would do with you calling her that, the Dawn Meister. Typical DiNozzo, never learning from his mistakes." She began to walk away from Tony, making her way towards her bedroom.

"Wait a minute." Tony grabbed her arm. "I do learn from my mistakes," he said defensively.

"Oh yeah? I need an example here DiNozzo."

"Well, my first mistake was going these two years without telling you how I feel. I fixed that one. Now you know how I really feel. Don't you?"

"Your first mistake... you mean there are more? What is the other one?"

"I am going to fix that one to."

"Really? Are you going to use that Anthony DiNozzo charm on me again?"

"No," Tony said seriously, gazing into Kate's eyes. "No. Just the truth."

"What's the truth Tony? What secrets are you hiding?" Kate questioned with equal seriousness.

"I am in love with someone," Tony confessed.

"Does this someone have a name?" Kate asked, her eyes glittering, her breath coming in short gasps because she knew his answer.

"I am in love with Caitlin Todd."

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**I am sorry. I couldn't leave out the Tate. You guys know me better then that, I am all Tate here!**


	5. Familiar Face

**I am finally back from hell. No computer or Tivo... I was dying. At least it gave me the chance towrite a few chapters of Dawn. I promise that The Blame will be updated soon.

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Maybe people were right. After you lost one of your senses, the others became stronger. Technically, Dawn hadn't lost her sense of sight, but barely having a visual of anything had improved her hearing. Every once in awhile, when she heard a noise, she'd jerk her head to the side, hoping to catch a glimpse of her captor... again.

How long she had been locked up in this room, she didn't know. Her glow in the dark watch said it was about 2:30, but day or night? What day?

Thankfully, while she had been sleeping, her lovely hostess had taken off the blindfold, but her hands and feet were still tied. At least the numbers on her watch were in her perepheral vision.

With her stomach grumbling, Dawn racked her brain, trying to place the face of the red-headed woman. Where in the world had she seen her before?

Images of the woman kept popping into her mind, but they were soon replaced with memories of her mom and dad.

Dad! Then she knew where she'd seen this woman before.

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Sweat poured down Abby's forehead as she watched her husband sleep for what seemed like the first time in days. Dawn had been missing for almost three days and ever since then,Abby's hormones seemed to be out of control. One minute she was sweltering hot and the next, she was freezing. Figuring it had to do with Dawn's disappearace, Abby dismissed it, deciding that it would be easier to just forget it.

"Who took my little girl?" Abby whispered into the darkness. Kate had helped her think of everyone who might have a grudge against her... or Gibbs; which of course, didn't narrow it down much.

They figured it must be a woman becuase she was in the ladies room. Although there was a possibility that it was some perverted guy. _No! Don't think that Abbs! Someone can't rape my baby.

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Kate tossed and turned in her bed, Tony by her side. It had been almost three days and all she could do was think about Dawn. Poor Abbs... poor Gibbs. Dawn was his pride and joy. She remembered the day that Dawn was born. Gibbs had stopped everyone in the hallway, pointed in the nursery and said, "That's my baby girl!" He had always been a bragger.


	6. My Everything

There had been no new evidence on Dawn's kidnapping. The only thing they had was Dawn's black hair ribbon that had been found on the restroom floor. Gibbs had even made sure that Tony and Kate had searched the place twice. Whoever had taken Dawn was good. Abby hated to admit it, but they hadn't left one trace of evidence. No fingerprints, DNA, hair, fibers... nothing. All they knew was that the kidnapper had used chloroform, nothing more.

Abby brought up the case file on her computer. It was basically empty. It had been three days and every minute, the chance of finding Dawn drifted further and further away. Abby needed Dawn in her arms. She missed brushing her daughter's hair in the morning. She missed helping her pick out what to wear. But most of all, she missed the long conversations they'd have about music, movies, school, friends, life... everything. Dawn was her everything.

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Dawn had been dozing in and out of conciousness for the past few hours now. Her watch now read 7:13. Once again, day or night, she couldn't be sure. She winced slightly as her stomach grumbled. Food... such a wonderful word. She was so hungry and thirsy too. Since she'd gotten to the dark place, no on had come to check on her or feed her. Although, she did remember being woken up a few times to be taked to the restroom. If she hadn't been in such a daze, then she most likely would've tried to escape. It was like the entire place had been filled with sleeping gas because she always felt tired and groggy. 

As if listening in on her thoughts, the root of her dispair walked into the dark room, carrying a try of food. The light from the open doorway showed the face of the red-headed woman. Niether had said a word to each other since their confrontation in the resteraunt bathroom. Dawn knew there were accomplices because this was also the first night since she'd been captured that she'd seen this evil woman. Even though she was beautiful, Dawn loathed her.

"Dawn, Dawn, Dawn. My, how much you look like dear Abby. Except... for your eyes. Icy, blue and cold, just like your father's. How is Jethro anyway? Doing well?" the red head questioned.

Dawn just sat there for a moment, giving her the silent treatment. She willed herself not to say a word, but her mouth got the better of her. She'd never really been the silent type. "Dad's fine. He's forgotten all about you. Heard him tell mom that he has never been happier. Which one were you again... the second?"

"Third. Best one he ever had. I can see you got his smart ass mouth too. Hasn't he taught you to respect your elders?"

"Listen here lady, you might be my elder, but I have to intention of respecting you. Besides, mom..." Dawn was cut off.

"Your mother, Abigail, is partly the reason why Jethro and I separated."

"Good!" Dawn spat out.

She was surprised as the woman's hand went across her cheek. Dawn felt like fire wask licking at her face. Tears stung her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. _You must never show weakness to the enemy._

"I thought you had been hungry, so I had brought you some food. To bad, after that little display... you don't deserve it," the woman turned to exit the room.

"Go to hell!" Dawn screamed, to her own amazement. Never in her life had she cussed and never in her life had she felt so angry or defenseless. Getting out of here was going to be a task, but she had faith in herself and her family.


	7. What If

**Does anyone know the name of Gibbs' third wife? If nobody knows it then I will just have to pick one.**

**Disclaimer: I do not _Without A Trace_ either. Although it is an excellent show. Who does own _Without a Trace_?

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Kate lay in Tony's arms watching _Without a Trace_. It was her favorite TV show. They always had such good plots, but she noticed that ever since she became a special agent, she critiqued the show. Nothing major, just the little things that bothered her. Like how they had co-worker relationships and yet it settled so smoothly around the job. Gibbs was still clueless about her and Tony, of course she would be too if she had a missing child out there somewhere.

Returning her attention to the show, Kate saw Dawn's face. "If you've seen this real missing person..." the voice trailed on.

"Gibbs must know how to pull some strings huh?" Tony mumbled from behind Kate. Funny, he'd been asleep just a second ago.

"You know that he's got connections. Not a bad idea either. The show gets pretty good ratings so plenty of people will see Dawn's face, again." The story of Dawn's kidnapping had been plastered all over the news for the past three days, ever since that fateful night at the resteraunt. "You think we'll find her?" Kate questioned, her voice shaky.

"Of course we will," Tony comforted. Although, in his mind, he was doubtful.

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For the past three days, Gibbs had barely seen his home or his wife. He was so worried and freaked out about Dawn that nothing else mattered. Sure, Abby was important, but right now, the only thing that mattered was finding his daughter and getting her home safely. The sooner the better.

He was so afraid to leave work. What if the kidnapper called? What if Dawn wanted to talk to him? What if... ? What if...? The darkness of his office settled around him as the silence became deafening.

Abby had offered to stay with hiim, but he told her no. It would have been pointless. Him staying there was basically pointless too, but Gibbs wouldn't have admitted that, not in a million years. With no evidence to examine, things were pretty slow. Gibbs hadn't offered his team up for any new cases. he focused on one thing and one thing only, the return of his baby. If he had to tear this entire district apart, he would find Dawn. If he had to search the entire country... he would.

Unlocking the door to their house, he heard it click. Not wanting to wake Abby, he tried to be extremely quiet as he slipped off his shoes and jacket.

"You said that you would be home by eleven," Abby said from the couch, startling him. "It's almost one thirty."

"Sorry Abbs.I got tied up with..."

"Don't even get my hopes up again by saying you may have found something Gibbs," Abby interrupted. Every once in awhile she would call him Jethro, but old habits died hard. "I just want her home," Abby sobbed, placing her head in her hands.

Walking over to Abby, Gibbs sat beside her on the couch and pulled her into his arms. He ran his fingers through her hair as he whispered in her ear. "I'll bring her home Abbs. I promise."

"Pinky promise?" Abby held out her pinky as her tears soaked into his shirt.

"Pinky promise." He wrapped his finger around hers. He continued to hold her in his arms and comfort her by rubbing her back. "I love you Abbs," Gibbs told her as he kissed her gently. Then it began to grow more passionate as he picked her up in his arms and carried her off to their room. Whether it was for his own relief or hers, he didn't know. All he knew was that he needed to take her mind off of Dawn. Plus, she needed to know how much he loved her.

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Dawn lay sprawled on the floor, her head throbbing and her face bruised. _What if daddy doesn't find me? What if those people hit me again? What if I never get to see my family again? What if...? What if...?_


	8. The Ribbon

**I have disappointed all my faithful reviewers once again by not updating in a few weeks. I have sorta hit a writers block. I know what is going to happen, just having a little trouble getting there. Know what I mean?**

**I meant to update last night, but hit a little speed bump when I twisted my knee. No biggie, just a little tough to concentrate on Dawn with a throbbing knee. She deserves the best story she can get.**

**Anyways, on with the story and please go to my home page. I will love you all dearly... well even more than I already love you. **

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Kate walked into Abby's lab breathing heavily. The elevator had been too slow so she had decided to run down the stairs. "Abbs... Dawn's... ribbon," Kate stammered through breaths of air. She really needed to get back into her regular workout routine.

"What about it? Abby mumbled, while sitting at her computer. The spark was gone out of her eyes and the joy washed away from her face. Kate hadn't seen her smile once in the four days that Dawn had been missing, but she didn't blame her. The whole team had lost their cheer, even usually quirky Tony.

"It wasn't in Dawn's hair when she left the table. She hadn't worn ribbons on her birthday," Kate practically yelled from excitement.

"How can you be so sure?" Abby questioned, hope twinkling in her eyes.

"Because I remembered asking her why she wasn't wearing any. She'd told me they were too childish now the she was an eight year old."

"So it was planted!"

"Exactly," Kate said, quite proud of herself. She'd thought about the case all night and even this morning. As soon as she'd arrived at work, she rushed down to Abby's lab, delivering the good news.

"Oh my God Kate!" You're a genius!" Abby exclaimed, throwing her arms around her best friend.

"I'd like to think so," Kate laughed. "I'll go get Gibbs." Breaking the hug, Kate scrambled for the elevator, ready to tell her boss the good news.

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"Gibbs! Gibbs! I have good news..." Kate slowed her sentence down as she saw the sad looks on the faces of her colleagues. "What happened?" she asked, her stomach sinking.

"A little girl was found by the resteraunt a hour ago. She matches Dawn's description," Gibbs mumbled.

"Well, that's good right? We found Dawn."

"No Kate. She wasn't alive," Tony replied.

Before Kate knew what was happening, she collapsed on the floor in a fit of tears.

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**Sorry guys that this is so short, but until more people visit my home page and I get more reviews... I won't post the next chapter. **

**Just kidding... I will have it up ASAP.**


	9. Pop Culture

**Disclaimer: I do not own Def Leppard, although I wish I did because they rock! Ah, sounds from my happy childhood. I also do not own the Backstreet Boys. Oh no... songs from what a loser I was in elementary school. GO AWAY!**

**Go ahead and read on while I fight away the boy bands that are battling in my brain at the moment. LEAVE ME ALONE! AHHH!**

**Oh wait, one more... I do not own Geico, but I love the little lizard man. Pardon me, I mean, Gecko man. **

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Around the corner there she was. Laying on the ground in a pool of blood, her brown hair scattered around her. Her face was bruised from obvious beating and her skin pale and cold. Tears streamed down Kate's face. Seeing this was horrible, but at the same time it was one of the greatest moments of her life.

"Thank you God," Kate whispered. "Thank you so much."

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Walking down into Ducky's autospy room, she felt the coldcapture her body. The temperature always remained below seventy degrees in there. How Ducky and Jimmy could stand the cold so much was beyond her. 

"Hello Caitlin. How are you?" Ducky asked comfortingly as Kate stood beside the the cool metal table.

"Better now that I know Dawn is still alive. Ducky we were all so afraid that it was going to be her body laying out there. I don't know what Abby would have done without her baby girl." Kate breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ah Caitlin, I am quite sure that Abigail would have been upset, but just imagine Jethro."

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The music blared from Abby's lab once again. It seems like the news of the young girl not being Dawn, had brightened her mood a little. Although she felt pain for the family that had lost their child, she rejoyced in the fact that Dawn would most likely be coming home. They would find her and once they did, she would never leave Abby's sight. 

"Love is like a bomb, baby, c'mon get it on. Livin' like a lover with a radar phone. Lookin' like a tramp, like a video vamp. Demolition woman, can I be your man?" Abby belted out Def Leppard's 'Pour Some Sugar On Me' as loud as she could. It didn't sound all that bad either.

"Be your man!"

"Holy shiitake mushrooms Tony!" Abby yelled, walking over to turn the volume down on her radio. "Are you trying to give me a coronary?"

"I don't know what you mean by canaries here Abbs, but I was just trying to show my love for the classics."

"Awesome. You like Def Leppard?" Abby asked, disregarding the canary comment.

"Deaf who? No Abbs. This song."

"Right Tony. Stick to your Backstreet Boys okay? Anyways, what can I do for ya?"

"Oh umm, Gibbs sent me down here to see what you have on the hair ribbon."

"Well, good news of course," Abby said.

"You just saved a bunch of money on your car insurance by switching to Geico?"

"What's the good news Abbs?" Kate asked, walking into the lab and elbowing Tony in the ribs.

"Hey what was that for?"

"Not knowing who Def Leppard is."

"You've been standing there for that long. You are silent as a freaking mouse."

"Quit trying to be charming. News Abby?"

"I wasn't trying to be charming. I was succeeding ver..."

"Shut up Tony!" Abby hollered. A look of shock appeared on the faces of her two co-workers. Abby never yelled, except at McGee or maybe Gibbs, occasionally Dawn... just rarely at Tony and actually meaning it. "Sorry, I just have some news, which I really want you guys to know now that we are done with pop culture references."

"You're forgiven and I promise to shut up."

"Thank you. Okay... the moment we have all been waiting for," Abby took a long dramaric pause. "There were no traces of blood on the hair ribbon."

Kate eyed Abby, a tad bit confused. "Abby... you... what... that..."

"That was your good news?" Tony said, speaking up for Kate.

"No. That was news, but I have better news. There is nylon thread and wire in this ribbon. Not thick strands of wire, but enough to make it pretty durable. Normally, it is the kind of ribbon used in crafts such as scrapbooking and stuff," Abby said excitedly.

"But plently of places make that kind of ribbon," Kate responded.

"True which is why I tested further and found out that this ribbon wasn't dyed with regular black dye. They actually used more natural dyes."

Tony and Kate still looked sort of clueless.

"Guys, only one place in a fifty mile radius is so 'earth protective' to use natural dyes. Mothers Crafts down the street from the resteraunt we ate at. They had their grand opening there last weekend. Whoever left this ribbon knew that we could trace it back to there. We can find Dawn!"

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**Okay, I haven't the foggiest clue about all that ribbon crap that I wrote about above, but it sounded pretty damn convincing to me.**

**Now do me a favor and press that little button right below here. No, a little more to your left. A little more. There you go.**


	10. Something Like That

**Oh my gosh guys, I am so very sorry! I had a case of writers block... the bad kind too. You know, when you know what you want to happen in the story, but you just don't know how to get there. So I actually wrote this chapter about 3 times before I thought that it was good enough.**

**Plus, I babysit everyday so it is kinda hard to find time to update. Hopefully this week I will be able to get up more chapters because I will be babysitting at my house so... Anyways, this story is coming to an end, sorry to say. Although I am kinda glad because then I will be fully open to finish The Blame.**

**Read and enjoy. I would ask for reviews, but I don't deserve them because it has taken me so long to get this up. But if you think that reviewing will make me feel better (which it will) or if you have any compliments... or complaints then go ahead and review. I will love you forever.**

**Oh and one more thing before I start this story. I don't know any of Gibbs' ex-wives' names so I just made one up. **

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Standing outside of Mather's Crafts, Gibbs felt his heart leap at the prospect of finding his baby girl. Almost a week without Dawn had made him realize everything that made her so special. Her gorgeous brown locks and smiling face appeared in his mind, causing a tear to roll down his cheek. He quickly wiped it away before McGee or Tony had a chance to notice it.

The first few steps were like a baptism, washing away his worries and filling his heart with hope, hope of finding Dawn. As he pushed open the door to Mother's Crafts, his heart dropped when he saw just how big the place was. Morespace to hide Dawn.

"McGee, go find some of this black ribbon. We'll get some back to Abby so that we can make a comparison. Tony, go talk to the lady at the counter. Hand her our warrant and get a list of her co-workers and their hours," Gibbs ordered.

"You got it," Tony said.

"No probelm," McGee replied.

* * *

They sat in silence with only the sound of Abby's rock music to mingle with their thoughts. 

Kate tapped her foot in time to the beat, popping her gum every few seconds to emphasize her impatience. For the past ten minutes, something had been on her mind, but she'd kept quiet, not wanting to crush Abby's hopes of finding Dawn.

Abby just sat at her computer, playing solitaire. She could tell that Kate had something on her mind. The way she was tapping her foot and popping her gum were signs of eagerness, but Kate only frowned and shook her head when something important was penetrating her thoughts... or when Tony said something ludicrous.

"What's on your mind?" Abby finally asked, unable to take any more of the frowning and head shaking.

"Huh?" Kate was snapped out of her thoughts and into reality by Abby's impromtu question.

"I know you're thinking about something pretty damn important when you are tapping, popping, frowning and shaking all at once. That is quite a bit of multi-tasking."

Kate sighed. She should've known that she couldn't keep anything from Abby. "Truthfully, I am thinking about a lot of things," Kate admitted. "But mostly about Dawn. I mean, where she could be."

"Kate, whoever took Dawn wanted to lead us to Mother's Crafts. Are you saying that it's just a set up?" Abby questioned.

"No, but c'mon Abbs. Let's just say hypothetically that you were to kidnap an eight year old. Would you take them to a newly opened building where tons of people were sure to be? You gotta think, that kid is probably going to yell for help and everything else. Don't you think someone would be bound to hear that?"

The hope disappeared from Abby's eyes and her entire body seemed to grow weak.

Kate continued. "Although the kidnapper wanted to be found, they didn't want just anyone to find them. I believe that they took Dawn as revenge on you or... Gibbs."

"Sounds plausible enough," Abby said frowning. Then where could she be?"

"I was thinking about that. My first guess, the old Mother's Crafts store they closed down before the new one opened. Isn't it just outside of D.C.?"

* * *

"Gibbs, look at this! Tony ran over to Gibbs showing him the list of employees. "Audrey Gail Vance Gibbs. She has your last name." 

"One of my ex-wives," Gibbs growled.

"Didn't want to give up your last name?"

"Something like that."


	11. Not An Option

**Okay, I know I deserve some reviews now cause I kept my promise and updated twice in a week. If I get enough reviews that I might actually consider updating again!**

**Love you guys! **

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Picking up the phone to call Tony, Kate heard it ring about five times before his answering machine picked up.

"This is Tony DiNozzo. I am unable to take your call at the moment, but if this is an emergency, then hang up and dial 911 immediately. Otherwise, just drop me a message and I'll get back to ya." BEEP

Kate let out an exasperated sigh and then began to leave a message. "Tony, this is Kate... obviously. Anyway, why the hell aren't you answering your phone? Abbs and I think that we have some big news. " She paused for a minute, contemplating whether or not to say what was on her mind. "Babe, I am worried about you okay. Please call me back. Bye."

She turned around to see an annoyed looking Abby. "Nothing for you either?"

"Nope," Abby answered.

"They probably just have bad phone signals or something."

"What now?"

"Our only choice is to wait," Kate said. "No matter how long it takes."

"Kate, it could take them hours! Dawn may not have that long!" Abby yelled.

"What do you suggest we do? Go ourselves?" Kate asked, shocked by Abby's outburst.

"Yes."

"Are you crazy Abby? I can't go without backup. Do you know how dangerous going alone would be?"

"You won't be alone... I'll go with you," Abby reciterated, muttering the last part.

"No," Kate stated. "No. That is not an option."

"I go with you or I go alone," Abby said stubbornly. "Either way, I am going to find my daughter."

Kate stared in disbelief at her best friend. "Abby... you aren't trained for the field. Putting yourself in a situation like that is... like suicide."

Abby just shook her head. "With or without you. Those are my only options and I am willing to choose either path to bring Dawn home safely. All I need to know is, are you going with me?"

* * *

Tony, McGee and Gibbs searched the entire building, but found nothing. Abby and Kate were no where to be found. There was no note left in the lab or any where on their desks. Not even Ducky knew where to find them. 

"Damn it! Kate knows better than this. Abby too," Gibbs hollered, slamming his fist on his desk in frustration. "Tony, what all did your message from Kate say?"

"Just that she and Abbs had possibly stumbled across something big. Mostly, just what yours from Abby had said," Tony told him, turning to face his computer. When he did, he saw that he had an e-mail.

"That from Kate?" Gibbs inquired, standing behind Tony.

"Yeah. Yeah it is," Tony replied nervously as he read through the e-mail. _Gibbs is going to kill me after he reads this._

**_--NCIS--_**

**TO:** A.Tony DiNozzo

**FROM:** C.Kate Todd

**RE:** Looking For Dawn

Hey Babe!

Don't worry. Abbs and I think that we know where Dawn is. So we decided to use our female instincts to find her. LOL, but no worries. We'll be fine. We went to the old Mother's Crafts store just outside of D.C. The address is down in Abby's lab.

As you probably already know, we tried to call you guys, but got nothing. We left at about 0930 so hopefully, you will catch up. Oh, and this was all my idea so tell Gibbs not to be mad at Abbs.

All my love,

"Katie"

_**--NCIS--**_

As soon as he'd finished reading the letter, Gibbs smacked Tony in the back of the head. "You better know what you've gotten yourself into DiNozzo," he scowled. Although, behind that scowl was a smirk. He owed Abby twenty bucks.

* * *

"Is this it Abbs?" Kate asked, looking up at the big abandoned building in front of her. 

"Yeah," Abby replied nervously. "That's it."

"Let's go," Kate said, checking to make sure that her SIG was secure at her side.

As they were getting out of the car, Kate noticed how freaked Abby looked. "Are you okay?" Kate questioned, apparently worried.

"I'm just ready to hold Dawn in my arms again." They began to walk towards the back of the building. "And put a bullet in the son of a bitch who took her," Abby added, holding tight to the gun Kate had given her for protection.

"Or we could just arrest them," Kate suggested.

"Sorry Kate." Abby had hate and anger in her eyes. "That's not an option."


	12. Baby Doll

**Three times in a week. Am I on a roll or what? Do I get reviews? Please! Oh please! Oh please! **

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She sat on the floor, cradling her legs to her chest. The coldness of the room was almost unbearable. She felt shivers run up her spine and back down again as a gust of air flew in from the open window.

It was so hard to get comfortable when you were shackled to the floor. Her wrists felt numb and her ankle sore. Glancing down at her foot, she saw the blood that had dried and it reminded her of how long she had been imprisoned here and how long she had been trying to break free.

Audrey had taken her new baby doll shoes for God knows what reason. On the floor were tally marks of how long she had been encaged in this hell hole. Almost a week and she didn't think that her dad would find her anytime soon. No clues had been left behind, at least none that could lead them to this place.

Tears streamed down her face as she thought of all the happy memories she had shared with the team, her family, within her eight years of life. They had given her everything she could have ever dreamed of, the only thing she wanted that she didn't have was a baby brother or sister. Unfortunately, at the moment, it seemed like she would never have one. If her mom and dad did decide to 'reproduce' again, there was the lingering possibility that she wouldn't be alive to meet him or her.

Not knowing what else to do, Dawn began to pray. Never before had it been a big thing with her, but since being kidnapped, God seemed to be her only friend. He was the only one that was there to hear her and pay attention and yet, she loathed him because he let this happen to her. He let her get captured by some pyscho ex-wife of her father's.

"God, please save me from this place. Bring my mommy and daddy to me. I miss them so much," Dawn whispered, her voice quivering with every breath, tears continuing to flow down her cheeks. "What did I do to deserve this? How can you be so cruel to me? I have never done anything terribly wrong. There are so many other people out there who have spent their whole lives being bad and yet, somehow... I am the one here. Please God, just get me out of here. I will pray every night. Every day of my life until the day I die. Please... please... PLEASE!"

* * *

With her gun in hand and her best friend at her side, Kate slowly pushed open the door to the building. Stepping inside, she felt a chill run through her body, leaving her cold. Beside her, she heard Abby's frantic nervous breathing. _Please God, help Abby make it out of here alive._

They kept walking down the hallway, checking around corners before continuing on their path towards where they hoped to find Dawn. Everywhere you looked you saw darkness so Kate pulled out her flashlight, which lit up the space just enough so she could see where she was going.

"Kate," Abby called from somewhere behind her. Kate turned around to see the scared face of her friend. She noticed that Abby was pointing at something on the floor. Looking down, she saw what it was... Dawn's baby doll shoes. They were in the right place! And even better, beside the pair of shoes, was a door, a door that hopefully led to Dawn.

Taking a few steps closer, Kate reached for the door knob and opened it.

* * *

Gibbs came to a screeching halt in front of the old Mother's Crafts store. He was relieved to see another of their cars sitting a little to his left. It meant that Kate and Abby were definitely here. From first glance, the building looked abandoned and like it was about to cave in, but if you looked carefully enough, you could see a few things that had been mended. For instance, there was a new door handle on the door and one of the front windows had been replaced. Signs that someone was staying here and probably trying to keep others out.

"DiNozzo, McGee, let's go," Gibbs commanded, but was surprised to see that the two of them were already ahead of him, walking towards the door.

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**Okay, I know that this chapter wasn't all the great, but I am nearing the end and I have to make this story go where I want it to go. (Wow, that made so much more sense in my head.) Anyways, to do what I am trying to do, parts of this story are going to haveta... well suck.**


	13. Daddy's Ex Wife

**Now I know that I deserve reviews. I've updated lots this week. Plus, this story is almost done and I want to finish it with a bang!**

**Love to all of my reviewers!

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The door creaked as she opened it and she was almost afraid that it would fall off of it's hinges. They had been lucky enough not to run into any so called "guards" and they were so close to finding Dawn. It would really suck if a noisy door gave them away.

"Do you see anything... or anyone?" Abby whispered hopefully.

"Not yet," Kate replied. The flashlight that she held in her hand didn't light up much of the large room. So basically, she could only see small spaces at a time.

Kate surveyed the room carefully, shining the light along the walls and into corners. Before she had even finished her search, the two of them heard a small cough come from their left. Followed by a familiar voice whispering into the darkness, "Mommy?"

"Dawn!" Abby squealed as Kate pointed the flashlight at the small child huddled in the corner. "I missed you so much sweetie. Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" Abby hugged Dawn tightly for a few moments.

"I thought I smelled gun powder," Dawn giggled, clinging to Abby just as tightly and burried her head in her mother's hair.

"Dawny, what happed to her eye?" Kate asked.

"Aunt Kate!" Dawn screeched, dismissing the question. "I didn't know you were here." Dawn reached to hug her, but stopped, realizing that she was to far away.

Dumbfounded, Abby looked down to where her daughter was chained to the floor. "Oh Dawn! Kate, can you get this off of her?" Abby questioned.

"I don't know, but I can try."

Kate began to pick the lock that held Dawn to the floor. She could tell already that this wasn't going to be a simple task. Gibbs had always been the one to open any locks they were faced with.

Trying to take her mind off the trouble that she was having, Kate asked Dawn a question that had been on her mind for quite awhile now. "Dawny, do you know who took you?"

"Of course. It was Audrey, daddy's ex-wife," Dawn replied calmly. Apparently, she had become to comfortable with this place.

"Is she the one who did that to you?" Abby inquired, rubbing her fingers lightly over Dawn's bruised eye and cheek.

At the sound of this question, Dawn seemed to lose all courage. "Na-uh," she mumbled.

"Who then?"

"I was trying to be nice to him because he was usually the one who brought me something to eat or took me to the bathroom, but then one day, I said something rude and he hit me. After that, he just wasn't so nice anymore," Dawn told them, her voice quivering with every breath. Although, she did manage to get out one more sentence before she started to cry. "His name was Paul."

Abby held Dawn in her arms as Kate continued to struggle with getting her free. At the moment, she was unsure if even Gibbs could crack this one.

After a few more minutes, when Kate had almost lost all faith, she was surprised to get the shackles off of Dawn's ankle.

"Got it," she said triumphantly. "Let's go!"

"I don't think so!" The three of them spun around as they heard the voice of someone in the doorway.


	14. The Death of His Soul

"Drop the gun!" Audrey commaned to Kate who had instinctively pulled it out of her holster. "You too Abigail!" Unfortunately, she had caught sight of that one too. "Now! Or I swear, I won't hesitate to shoot either of you... maybe I could just aim for Abby Jr. huh?"

At that comment, Kate and Abby slid their weapons across the floor so that they lay just inches from Audrey's feet.

"So Abby... it's been awhile hasn't it?" Audrey said casually.

"Yeah and truthfully, I can't say that I've missed you," Abby sneered.

"Snappy tongue there Abigail. You might want to watch it. That's what got little Dawn there in trouble with Paul. Plus, I'm holding the cards her sweetheart," Audrey laughed, referring to the gun she held in her hand.

"You won't touch them," Kate said, speaking up. Fury flashed through her eyes, proving to Audrey that she wasn't afraid.

"Agent Todd isn't it? I remember we met once; when I came to headquarters to get Jethro back, but of course, he wouldn't leave his two Abigail's over there." Audrey glared hard at Abby and Dawn. "In fact, I remember you quite well." She turned her attention back to Kate. "Even back then you had fire. More of it in fact. Seems that being with that DiNozzo man has softened you up a bit. Slept together yet?" she taunted.

Kate just stared at her in shock. _How does she know? It's only been about a week and not even Abbs knows yet._ Which might have explained the confused look that Abby was casting in Kate's direction.

"Oh well, the softer the better. Now back to you Ms. Scuito." Audrey refused to call Abby by hermarried last name. "You sent a lot of pain my way. He would have come back to me if you two weren't in the picture," she scowled.

"So that's what this is all about? You kidnapped Dawn just to get back at Gibbs?" Abby inquired, still holding her daughter in her arms.

"No, no, no. You got it all wrong. I wasn't just trying to get back at Gibbs, I was trying to get back at you for stealing him away. Also, my plan wasn't just to kidnap Dawn, but kill her too."

All three of their heads shot up at the sound of this. Dawn's eyes grew wide at the thought of dying while Abby tightened the grip she held on her baby girl. Kate just laid her hand on Dawn's leg in a protective gesture.

Audrey laughed and continued talking. "You know Abby, I'm glad you came out of the lab because now, instead of putting a bullet through Dawn's pretty little head... I'll get to put one through yours!"

Just as Audrey said this, Kate began to jump up off the floor, but stopped when Audrey clicked the gun, pushing a bullet into the chamber.

"Agent Todd... or Kate. May I call you Kate?" Audrey paused, waiting for an answer, but just kept on talking when all she got was a piercing glare. "Fine then, Kate it is. Anyway, like I told Abigail, I've got the gun. So it would be in your best interest, if you didn't make any sudden movements."

Questioning her impulse, Kate stood up anyway. Then slowly took a few steps forward.

"I'm warning you Agent Todd, I will shoot you. One more step and..."

She was cut off bu the sound of two men's voices just down the hall.

"Shut up DiNozzo. We need to find them," Gibbs said, his voice growing closer.

"DADDY!" Dawn yelled.

"Dawn stop!" Abby screamed as Dawn made a hasty move and hopped up off of the floor, preparing to run for the door.

Audrey's nerves were on edge and her mind racing, she didn't know what else to do. She had to have revenge! Following her gut, she pointed the gun at Dawn and fired.

Inside the room, two screams were heard as a body hit the floor.

* * *

As soon as they heard Dawn scream "daddy," they began running down the hall. Unfortunately, they made it there to late. When they reached the room, he began to shake, tears flowing freely down his cheeks as he saw her body lying on the floor.

Picking her head up, he layed it in his lap and ran his fingers through her brown hair. He watched painfully as her eyes fluttered open and closed.

"I love you," he whispered, kissing her forehead. "Please don't die, you can't die."

"I don't want to die," she whimpered, taking slow deep breathes.

Pressing his hand against the bullet wound on her chest, he whispered quietly into her hair once more, "I won't let you die because when you die, my soul dies right along behind you. You are my soul, you are my entire world." One of his tears landed softly in her hair as he cried openly in front of everyone. His heart was breaking with every passing second.

Behind him, he could hear his partner cuffing Audrey and radioing for an immediate ambulance.

"I love you too..." she muttered her last words before her eyes closed forever.

Realizing that she'd stopped breathing, he shook her gently. "Kate... Kate, no." Tony leaned over and held his head against her cheek, sobbing at the same time. "Please don't leave me baby. Don't die on me. What will I do without you? Remeber, my soul is dying too. You don't want that, I know you don't. I need you Kate. Wake up damn it! Wake up honey. Please, come back to me."


	15. Trusting Eyes

**Sometimes I think that maybe I put one too many twists in my stories. Is that possible? **

**Anyways, sorry that I didn't put a "character death" warning. I have disappointed one of my most faithful reviewers. I am sorry jtbwriter, but think... if every character death story had a warning label on it, then where would the surprise be? How would I go out with that "bang" ending I was planning on? Did they tell you that Jack was going to die in the beginning of Titanic? Or how about Elektra in Dare Devil? All surprises that make people go wow. So, although I do appologize for just throwing in the death scene (I knew from the beginning that someone was going to die... I even knew who), I do not regret not putting a big flashy WARNING on my story.**

**JTBwriter, hopefully this chapter will help me redeem myself. Is that possible?**

**Andto my anonymous reviewer Kate: The two screams came from Abby and Dawn. They were sad/shocked/pissed off thatKate was shot... so they screamed. Sorry to have confused you.**

**P.S. this is the shocking FINAL chapter... for sure. The biggest twist is put into the final chapter of my story, throwing everyone off of the... well, surprising everyone. ENJOY! **

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"1... 2... 3... clear!"

There was a pause.

"1... 2... 3... clear!"

"We've got something here! She's stable. Let's get her into surgery stat!"

* * *

The machines buzzed, ticked, clicked, tocked, hummed, read heart rates and basically everything else that machines were supposed to do. Unfortunately, nothing they said or technically 'buzzed' made any sense to Tony. If only he was a doctor and could understand what the little lines going across the machine said or what those complicated symbols and upside down letters stood for. How could he know if she was going to truly be okay?

Feeling frustrated, he took her hand in his and began to lightly trace his fingers across her palm. Drawing pictures, writing names, words and anything else he could think of. He didn't want to lose concentration on her hand. He couldn't bring himself to look directly "at her." Seeing the IV's that ran from her arm, the oxygen mask put over her face and the little pads stuck to her forehead that monitered her brain waves... they all scared him. They made her seem helpless and defenseless; Kate was neither of those. He knew that they were there to help her and make sure that everything ran smoothly, but that didn't make him feel anymore comfortable.

Tony just sat there, continuing to draw pictures on the palm of her hand, refusing to look at her face.

So many thoughts had ran through his head as he had held her in his arms. He remembered imagining their first kiss all over again, the first time he had pressed his lips against hers and allowed himself to actually have feelings for a woman. It wasn't just lust, it was love. Afraid that he would lose her, he had told her that he loved her, for the first time, right before she died. Thankfully, she had come back to him, she had survived. Because of that miracle, he would be able to use more than just words to tell her how much he loved her.

* * *

Abby rinsed her face with cold water and walked back out into the hospital waiting room. She'd finally figured out why her hormones were so crazy. One minute she was hot, the next she was cold. Plus, she had begun to feel sick to her stomach most mornings.

The test confirmed it and she couldn't hide the grin that was on her face.

"Mommy, are you okay?" Dawn questioned, sitting on her father's lap in a maroon chair. The doctors had checked her out and she was going to be just fine. Thank the lord.

"Yeah honey... I am fine," Abby said, still smiling.

"Then why are you acting so hinky?"

"Abbs, are you sure everything is okay?" Gibbs asked. It was good to see Abby smiling again, but at the same time... he knew something was going on.

Abby sat down beside Gibbs and Dawn and took a deep breath. She rested her hands on her lap and began to fiddle her thumbs.

"I am going to have a baby. We are going to be parents again!" Abby squealed.

Dawn jumped off of her daddy's lap shrieking. "Yes!" She started to do a little victory dance in the lobby. "Yes, yes, yes!" She yelled again.

* * *

His shoes thumped against the concrete floor as he made his way down the hall to Audrey's jail cell. The place was dark, dreary and cold... all elements he welcomed. Audrey had failed him, she had not done what he had told her too. She was supposed to kill Dawn or Abby, not Caitlin. Killing Caitlin wouldn't hit Agent Gibbs as hard as murdering one of his family members. ObviouslyKate was an important asset to the team, butGibbs could move on without her. As for moving on without Abby... or Dawn, it wouldn't happen. He had observed how Agent Gibbs had acted with just Dawn being missing. Her being dead would bring far more pain to the senior agent.

Approaching her cell, he stared at the broken woman that was huddled in the corner. Audrey's knees were pressed tightly against her chest and her cheeks were wet from the tears that had rolled down her face and landed on her pants. It was pathetic and disappointing. She had promised him that she could handle whatever came along, apparently not.

"Audrey, you broke your promise to me," he said, startling her. "What happened to being able to take what came along?"

"What are you doing here? I thought you said that you would disown me if I got caught? Leave meto rot in prison?" Audrey said scathingly.

"I never said I was here to rescue you from this cell. No, no, no... I am here on business. This is far more important than letting you go free. You see, although I am not going to save you from the confines of this small room, I won't allow you to rot either."

Audrey stared at the man before her, confused and intrigued at the same time. He was so mysterious and there was something about him that seemed gentle... and even sexy. Maybe it was his eyes. They were so trusting. It was like falling into a safe haven where nothing could hurt you.

"I can see that you are curious," the man said, reaching his hand into his coat pocket. Audrey gasped at what he pulled out.

"Please no. Are you crazy? Don't do it.. please," she begged.

"I'm sorry Audrey. Gibbs can never know who put you up to this plan. You didn't follow my orders and I don't think you can be trusted."

"Paul..."

"Audrey, you know I don't like to be called Paul. It wasjust my undercover name," the man whispered, holding the gun steadily in his hand, pointing it straight at a frightened Audrey.

"I'm sorry. I am so sorry. Give me another chance. Kate was an accident... a mistake."

He just shook his head and prepared to fire.

"No!" Audrey yelled, jumping up off the floor. "Somebody help! Guard... someone!"

"They can't hear you. I pulled quite a few strings to see you privately." The gun clicked.

"Ari... no!" she yelled.

It was too late, Ari had pulled the trigger and Audrey lay dead on the cold gray floor.

Chuckling into the darkness as he walked away, Ari whispered to himself, "Contary to belief Audrey, eyes can lie."

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**-The End-**


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